Wooster council gives approval to roundabout

Roundabout will be constructed at intersection

By STEVEN F. HUSZAIStaff Writer Published: March 18, 2014 4:00 AM

WOOSTER -- City Council approved participating with the state Monday night on developing a roundabout at state Route 83 and Smithville Western Road, just weeks after the Wayne County commissioners signed off on the project too.

Council unanimously backed the project, 7-0, to install a single-lane roundabout at the intersection which was identified by the Ohio Department of Transportation as a high-accident intersection. The body approved the resolution after voting to suspend the rules requiring three readings.

Construction on the new feature to the Ohio roads is set for 2016.

The estimated cost of the project is $1.6 million with ODOT paying 90 percent of the project, or $1.4 million. The city will cover the remainder.

Jon Ulbright, at-large council member, said the improvement of the intersection is a safety issue. ODOT counts previously noted that it saw 18 crashes within a three-year time span.

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"This really is a marvelous initiative," added Jon Ansel, at-large council member, despite what he called "nay-sayers" who have been vocal against roundabouts. Some in the community have spoken against building on farmland. In this roundabout plan, the intersection would come out to the northeast where there is currently farmland.

David Silvestri, ward 3 council member, said this improvement will be a "welcomed modification" for people in his ward and it does not encroach on current property owners.

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The county engineer's office is also planning to construct a roundabout at Smithville Western and Friendsville Road.

Ansel noted that the parcel to the northeast of where the city plans to construct a roundabout was previously earmarked for 70 acres of commercial development, before those plans were scrapped.

"And there was no discussion then," on building over farmland, Ansel said. The roundabout plan will use significantly less of the current parcel in order to build the roundabout.

Roger Kobilarcsik, city engineer, added the roundabout will not have any signals or infrastructure to maintain and will therefore be cheaper to maintain in the long-run.

He added a public meeting was held Sept. 17 at Grace Brethren Church to address questions from the public.

There are no roundabouts in ODOT's District 3, although the idea is gaining ground. Two roundabouts are being designed in Medina County and one was installed in Mansfield, but was funded by the city without ODOT assistance.

The two in Medina County are planned for the intersection of state Route 252 and state Route 57, near Buckeye Local Schools, and at state Route 94 and Wilbur, near the Highland School buildings.

Reporter Steve Huszai can be reached at 330-287-1645 or shuszai@the-daily-record.com. He is @GeneralSmithie on Twitter.